At least 10 people have been killed in a fire at a shopping centre in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, according to officials and local media.
The blaze on Saturday tore through the multi-storey RJ Mall, a commercial high-rise that also houses call centres and software firms.
Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui, the mayor of Karachi, wrote on the social platform X that at least 10 people died and 22 people were injured as a result of the fire.
The fire has been extinguished and first responders were working to cool the area, he wrote.
Some local media outlets said the death toll may be higher.
Fire had been extinguished & cooling process is going on. I can so far confirm 10 casualties & 22 persons have been injured https://t.co/x3I873U7fG
— Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui (@murtazawahab1) November 25, 2023
Local broadcaster Geo News said the blaze started early in the morning at the mall located on Rashid Minhas Road in Pakistan’s most populous city and commercial capital.
It reported that firefighters rescued about 50 people but more remained inside the building.
Local news website Dawn cited police surgeon Summaiya Syed as saying that 10 bodies had been brought to several hospitals, with most of them going to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC).
Some of the injured were also being treated at hospitals, according to local media.
The exact cause of the fire remains unknown, with officials promising an investigation will be launched to determine the cause.
Roads surrounding the building were cleared as rescue operations were under way.
Kamran Tessori, the governor of the southeastern province of Sindh, said in a post on X that he has requested a report on the incident from the Karachi city commissioner.
